Amusement device



Oct. 23, 1934.

O. SAN DSTROM AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Aug. 9, i955 kUenZ/z' 05660* arabrom.

Patented Oct. 23, 1934 UNITED srl-irasA PATENT orifice AMUSEMENT DEVICE mi Oscar Sandstrom, Waukegan, Ill.

Application August 9, 1933, SerialNo. 684,342

7 Claims.

This invention relates to amusement devices of the target type, in which a ball or like projectile is projected by the player along the bed of a guide trough or runway, so that when properly directed the ball or projectile will strike a target at a remote end of the runway to record on an associated indicating mechanism the successful effort of the player. And this improvement has for its objects:

To provide a structural formation and combination of parts in an amusement device of the above mentioned type, adapted to visibly record the number of successful efforts of a player.

To provide in connection with the above mentioned recording mechanism, `a coacting chance indicating mechanism adapted at uncertain periods to disclose a prize or winning numeral or symbol, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view illustrating the associated relation of Vparts and features of an amusement device embodying the preferred form of this improvement.

Fig. 2 is detail front elevation of the preferred forms of the registryand indicating mechanisms,

with parts broken away to display portions of the mechanisms, and with parts in section on lines 2--2, Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal section of said mechanisms on line 3 3, Fig. 2 and the operating means thereof.

Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal section on line 4 4, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section on line 5-5,

Fig. 2 of the impelling resilient pawl member of the chance indicating mechanism.

. Like reference numerals indicate like partsin the several views.

In this improvement the runway, 1, is of an elongated trough form having a flat bottom wall 2 of some width to provide a widened course, along which the projectile used, is pushed or thrown by the player in the direction of the hereinafter described target and its registering and indicating mechanisms. Said runway 1 is preferably offa curved form as indicated in Fig. 1 andsupported in an inclined position by front and rear legs 3, and at its forward end is provided with a basket' or like receptacle 4 for the reception of the balls or projectiles used in their return by gravity along the runway after their discharge by the player.

At its remote end the runway l carries an en closing shell or casing 5 adapted to enclose and provide bearings and supports for the registering and indicating mechanisms of this improvement` In the preferred construction shown the front wall 6 of the shell or casing 5 is an offset formation and provided with view orifices l and 8 for serial disclosures of the hereinafter described series of numerals cr symbols of the above men tioned registering and indicating mechanisms.

Adjacent to the front wall of the casing 5 aforesaid, the runway 1 carries a fixed transverse target frame or rail 9, extending the full widthof the runway with the front face of the rail preferably in right angle relation to the bottom wall 2 of the runway as shown in Fig. 3 and with said front face of the railformed with a transverse channel extending the width of the rail for the reception of the hereinafter described cushion member that receives the impact of the projectile used.

The rail 9 and the cushion member just referred to are formed at their midwidth with a longitudinal orifice 11 for guiding engagement with a movable target member hereinafter described.

The cushion member 12 above referred to is preferably formed of india rubber or similar elastic material and is fixedly secured in the aforesaid channel of the target frame or rail 9.

The target member 13 above referred to is prefn erably of the rectangular bar shape shown, formed with an enlarged forward end that normally projects a distance beyond the front face of the cushion member 12, with its reduced portion providing a support for a spring 14 by which the target member is yieldingly maintained in its normalA forward position above set forth. With such construction, a ball or projectile moving rearwardly is adapted to strike either the target member 13, or to strike one or the other side portions of the cushioning member 12.

The registry and chance indicating mechanisms of this improvement in the preferred form shown comprisesa formation and arrangement of part and features as follows: 95

The carrying shaft 16 of a spring or like impelled drum 17 is journalled in the casing 5 aforesaid and carries a numbered disk or dial 18, the numerals ofwhich are adapted to be serially disclosedthro-ugh the aforesaid view opening'? in 100 the front wall of the casing 5. In addition the shaft 15 carries a marginal ratchet formation 19 preferably of the escapement type and having operative association with the target member 13 byV mechanism as follows: An oscillatory member 20 105l is arranged in operative relation to the rear end of the target member 13 to receive rearward movement therefrom, with its forward movement yielding attained by aspring 21.`

In the construction shown in Fig. 3, the upper and moving end of the oscillatory member 20 is formed with a cam portion 22 adapted for operative engagement with one end of a rocking escapement member 23 pivotally mounted in the casing 5 and provided with angularly disposed end detents 24 and 25 adapted for operative engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 19 aforesaid, with the detent 25 in normal holding engagement with an adjacent tooth of said wheel and with the detent 24 out of engagement with an adjacent tooth of said wheel and in a position slightly in advance of said tooth with which it is intended to engage. The arrangement being such that with the release of the rst mentioned detent 25 in a rocking movement of the rocking escapement member 23, the last mentioned detent 24 will move into the path of the next adjacent tooth of the ratchet wheel and permit of a slight advance of the ratchet wheel so that with a succeeding rocking movement of the escapement member 23 in the reverse direction the detent 24 will move out of holding engagement with the ratchet Wheel and the detent 25 will move into the path of a next adjacent tooth of the ratchet wheel to permit the desired intermittent movement of the ratchet wheel to bring a succeeding indicating numeral of the dial or disk 18 aforesaid, into exposed relation to the view opening 7 of the enclosing casing 5 with said movement of the parts controlled by a stop engagement of the detent 25 with the next adjacent advancing tooth of the ratchet wheel. With the described construction a gradual serial indicating movement of the indicating dial 18 is attained without shock or jar of the mechanism resulting from the sudden and forcible impact of the projectile 15 against the target member 13. Another material part of this improvement involves a chance or prize indicating mechanism operatively associated with the registering mechanism just described, and comprising a construction as follows:

An indicating disk 26Y having a circularly a ranged series of numerals or symbols adjacent to its border adapted for serial disclosure through the aforesaid view `opening 8 of the enclosing casing 5, is mounted in a freely revoluble manner within the casing 5 and preferably on the carrying shaft 16of the heretofore described registering mechanism, and formed with a circular series of ratchet teeth 27 in concentricrelation to axis of said shaft. In coacting relation to the disk 26 and its ratchet teeth 27, a resilient pawl member 28 is xedly carried by the shaft 16 aforesaid, to turn in unison'therewith, and in its sudden turning movements acquired from said shaft is adapted to impart a like sudden and spinning turning movement to the indicating disk 26 through its ratchet teeth 27, with the extent of such spinning movement varying with the `degree of the impact stress that the target member 13 receives when struck by the projectiles in their different deliveries by the players. closure of a predetermined prize number or symbol of the indicating disk 26 at the view opening 8 is problematical and a matter Wholly of chance.

In the construction shown the resilientl pawl member 28 comprises an angular lever pivoted in a hub 29 fixed on the shaft 16 with one arm formed with a ratchet detent for engagement with the ratchet teeth 27 of the indicating disk 26 with tion 27 of the indicatingdisk 26.

In consequence a dis- Having thus fully described my invention which I claim, is:

1. An amusement device comprising an elongated runway, an indicating mechanism arranged at the remote end of the runway, said mechanism comprising an enclosing shell having a View oriflce in its front. Wall, a revoluble registry disk journalled within said shell and provided with a circular series of ratchet teeth and a corresponding series of numerals adapted for serial disclosure at the aforesaid View orifice of the enclosing shell, a transverse target rail arranged in adjacent relation to the front of the enclosing shell, a movable target member having movement in a guide orifice in the midwidth of said rail, means for yieldingly maintaining said target member in a normal forward position, and means intermediate of the rear end of the target member and the ratchet teeth of the aforesaid registry disk for converting the rearward movement of the target member into a step by step rotation of said registry disk. Y

2. An amusement device as specified in claim l and wherein the elongated runway is provided with means for supporting it in an inclined condition.

3. An amusement device as specified in claim 1 and wherein the means by which the rearward movement of the target member is converted into a step by step rotation of the registry disk, comprises an intermediate bar mounted for oscillating movement in operativerelation tothe rear end of the target member and having a cam formation at its free end, and a rocking escapement member having operative engagement near one end with the cam formation of the aforesaid vintermediate bar, and having ratchet detents on' its respective ends for alternate stop engagement with ratchet teeth of the registry disk.

4. Anamusement device las specified in claim l, and wherein the target rail carries impact cushions at the sides of the' centrally arranged target member. 1

5. An amusement device as specified in claim 1,

and wherein the target rail carries impact cushlons at the sides of and encircling the centrally arranged target member. f

6. An amusement device as specified in claim l, and wherein `the registry disk is provided with a carrying shaft journalled within the enclosing shell, a revoluble indicator disk is loosely mounted in concentric relation to the axis of rotation of the registry disk and is provided with va circular ratchet formation, and a resilient pawl member fixed on said carrying shaft and having operative engagement with said circular ratchet formation,the enclosing shell being provided with a view orice for a serial disclosure of the markings on the indicator disk.

7. An amusement deviceas specified in claim ,t

OSCAR SANDSTROM. 

